In Series 2, we explore how each guest—select professionals in different stages of their journey—incorporated the 13 principles into their career journey. It is a more holistic discussion of the application of the principles; what worked well, what required more effort…perhaps which ones they are they still trying to become more proficient at.
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Cliff Goins IV
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Introduction:
We all have different journeys in our career…different starting points, ending points, detours, obstacles, opportunities, etc. Some of those are caused by factors we don’t control, and many of those are caused by factors we do control. The factors we control are encompassed in the 13 principles of The Road to Champagne: you can control your mindset, you can define and create your professional brand, and you can decide how proactive you want to be in managing your career. We covered each principle individually in each episode during Series 1.
In Series 2, which starts today, we will do something different. We will explore the holistic application of the 13 principles and how that has impacted the career journey of professionals in different fields and in different stages of their journey. The only thing my Series 2 guests are in common is that I know them all, of course. I’ve met them in different stages of my career, and they are here because I believe they have great insights to share with us.
During this episode we discuss:
- Which principles have helped Cliff the most in his journey in the finance world
- How a failure in entrepreneurship isn’t the end of your career…but a post-MBA
- The importance of mentors and sponsors
Key quotes:
- On Principle #5 Be Adaptable: “What do you do when a city construction project shuts down the on-ramp to your retails store—during the Holiday season? You cry, but next you reorient your business operation so you can live to fight another day. You have to be adaptable on this road.” –Cliff Goins IV
- On Principle 6, Aim Outside Your League: “That one needs some work. I think whatever this next thing is, it sounds like it really needs to be big, so I think I probably got to go back to the drawing board because I am probably not thinking big enough.” –Cliff Goins IV
- “The most important thing you can do is own your journey. You have more control than you think, and you can do more than you can imagine. All too many times we miss the notion that the journey may be the purpose of it all.” –Cliff Goins IV
- “Having a sponsor is a game-changer, having mentors is a must. Coaches come as you need them, but the mentors and sponsors…you should aspire to have across your career.” –Alejandro Colindres
Chris Callieri
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Introduction:
Our journeys are all different, but the success principles are not. In my perspective, it is the effective application of each principle that helps us maximize the probability of success in our journey. Cliff was not predestined to be a Senior Vice President and COO, my next guest was not predestined to be a Chief Supply Chain Officer…they just made the right choices, the right sacrifices, took advantage of the right opportunities, and put the right amount of effort to apply the 13 principles proficiently in their career. That’s the key lesson for us. We are in control of our journey and knowing which principles to apply will make a significant and visible difference in your life. Like I said before…don’t take it from me, take it from the diverse guests that are giving you advice!
During this episode we discuss:
- Which principles have helped Chris the most in his journey in the Supply Chain world
- How sometimes we stop ourselves from achieving the more we want
- How we can define success
Key quotes:
- On Principle 3, Always Be WIP: “If you realize that you are and others are, you may approach things with humility.” –Chris Callieri
- On Principle 11: Build Your Village: “I can’t even begin to describe how important it has been.” –Chris Callieri
- On Principle 6: Know Yourself: “I am always trying to understand from them how my conversations, how my comments, how my behaviors how are they perceived because sometimes I find there is a difference between intent and how it’s received.” –Chris Callieri
- “Mentors come in lots of different varieties, if you will. I think often times when you think ‘mentor’ you look up; someone that’s more senior or who has more experience. And I actually think sometimes you need to look at perhaps more junior people in your organization who have been brought up in a completely different way, who have a completely different set of perspectives or values.” –Chris Callieri
- “Make sure you don’t really try to check all the boxes, because if you do check all the boxes, you are aspiring for the normal. If you want to aim high, there has to be some boxes you don’t check.” –Alejandro Colindres F.
Shadi Yazdan
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Introduction:
Welcome to episode 3, I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Just so you know, I am excited to have done a few business trips already, and I hope your world is also slowly coming back to normal after such a wild global disruption. Someone asked me the other day if the 13 principles apply to entrepreneurs, not just employees working for an organization—like me. The answer is yes, they apply equally well. Of course, there are different success factors and traits that distinguish a brilliant entrepreneur from a brilliant employee, but The Road to Champagne is not about becoming a brilliant employee…it’s about growing in the path you chose.
During this episode we discuss:
- How the 13 principles apply to people across multiple fields, including entrepreneurs
- How the principles have worked in Shadi’s career in government, entrepreneurship, and marketing
- The importance of continuously working on improving your proficiency across all principles
Key quotes:
- “Do some small thing that scares or challenges you. We are creatures of habit and forcing yourself out of that comfort zone—and that habit—is really crucial for growth and embracing new opportunities.” –Shadi Yazdan
- On Principle 2, Aim Outside Your League: “My mindset has always been: ‘If my parents can give up everything to bring their kids to the other side of the world—from a war-torn country as war refugees—and learn a new language and build a new life, then I can do anything.’ Nothing is too big.” –Shadi Yazdan
- On Principle 7, Stick to Your Values: “There have been many times where I went against my values; and I know that is the reason I failed or the situation didn’t turn out very well. And today I have to say, I am very intentional and pay more attention to my core values. I ask myself on a daily basis when opportunities come to me ‘does this align with my values?’ and if the answer is ‘no,’ I don’t do it.” –Shadi Yazdan
- “We all have multiple strengths but only a few areas of expertise.” –Alejandro Colindres F.
Sasha Matera-Vatnick
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Introduction:
I told you we would be hearing from professionals in different stages of their career, right? So far, we’ve spoken to some senior folks who are making tremendous progress in their career, some in the executive suite. They had great insights for us. Today, I want to swing the pendulum a bit, and talk to people in the center of my target audience: young professionals who are just getting started and have so much to figure out. I was there at some point. So, what we will do is talk to a recent college grad–one with plenty of potential– who is in her first job. I want to know how she is approaching the application of the 13 principles, and what are the key questions she needs answers for as she starts driving her car on that long road ahead of her. If you are in her shoes, you must be intrigued. If you are way past that part of your journey, you will want to hear what the new generation is facing nowadays…maybe things haven’t changed. There is only one way to find out…let do this!
Sasha studied Food Science at Cornell University, where she was president of the Food Science Club and graduated just one year ago. While at Cornell, she interned with Chobani and with Molino Canuelas, a milling facility in Argentina where she is from. She grew up in Washington DC. We met through a Cornell networking event. She joined Cargill as Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory Associate. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, working out, cooking Asian and vegetarian dishes, and trying to expand her list of new activities.
During this episode we discuss:
- What is it that most young professionals have in their mind as they start their career journey, represented today by Sasha.
- Which of the 13 Principles are helping Sasha start her journey.
- Why we must not fear failure.
Key quotes:
- “Personally, I am defining success as finding happiness from a professional perspective and from an emotional perspective. So, from a professional perspective, I mean having a positive impact on the food industry…and finding the balance between the two [perspectives].” –Sasha Matera-Vatnick
- On Principle 7, Stick to Your Values: “I believe that having a moral compass and just exploring what matters the most to you through personal reflection is something that will stick with you forever.” –Sasha Matera-Vatnick
- “Soft skills are as important, if not more important, than your academic abilities. For example, I recommend [you] start building your leadership skills…focus on relationship-building. That is incredibly important; you are going to be dealing with people every day of your life. Prioritize relationship-building.” –Sasha Matera-Vatnick
- On Principle 2, Aim Outside Your League: “What I tell myself is ‘Hey, I prefer someone else to tell me No—or to try to tell me No—than for me to say No to myself.’” –Alejandro Colindres
Jose Amarista
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Introduction:
Many times, our career brings us a fork in the road. We face a key decision: should I continue down this path or change course? In previous episodes we heard from friends who started in the corporate world or in government and then became entrepreneurs, or they went from being an entrepreneur to a world-class artist. Those forks in our road can come unexpectedly, or because we put in the right effort to make it appear. Either way, it is an intriguing and fascinating move that hopefully brings us more success. After just a few years working in the technical and scientific side of the food industry, I decided I wanted to move towards the business side of the food industry. My next guest had such a fork much later in his career; he worked in R&D in leading food companies and just recently launched his own business.
Jose is a seasoned technical professional in Consumer Products, Research & Development. He is currently leading a start up to launch an Innovation in the medical field and recently started his own consulting business. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Margin Enhancement at Pinnacle Foods in New Jersey. Before that, he worked for leading food companies including Warner Lambert/Pfizer, P&G and Cadbury—now Mondelez. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Simon Bolivar in Venezuela, his home country, and obtained his executive MBA at Fairleigh Dickinson University. We worked together at Cadbury almost 18 years ago. When not working or with family, he enjoys running, biking, and playing the piano (although he still has ways to go).
During this episode we discuss:
- Why grabbing the wheel is important, despite others trying to steer it for you.
- Which of the 13 Principles were instrumental to Jose’s journey.
- The power of being adaptable to succeed in different environments.
Key quotes:
- On Principle 5, Be Adaptable: “I went through I think five or six different mergers and acquisitions—changes in command, in general. You have to be adaptable. There are a lot of things that change: different cultures, different people, different ways of working. Don’t make any decisions until you understand exactly how that change will impact you.” –Jose Amarista
- “Demand the leadership that you deserve. Don’t be content and don’t succumb to poor leadership.” –Jose Amarista
- On Principle 9, Build Your Brand and Principle 3, Always Be WIP: “When you overbuild your brand and you think you are infallible and you are like ‘Well, I know everything, I’m the expert the expert here!’ you become a grumpy expert.” –Jose Amarista
- On Principle 7, Stick to Your Values: “You need to find the balance between: what do you value in your life, and what will this opportunity bring to [your] career.” –Alejandro Colindres
Carla Murillo-Gonzalez
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Introduction:
If you have paid close attention to the selection of my more than 20 guests so far, you should realize there is one thing in common: they are making fantastic progress on their road to success, despite the fact they are in different stages. Some are just starting while some already reached the executive level. I enjoy learning from guests from different fields, who’ve had different journeys than mine. Unavoidably though, I do share something in common with each of my guests, because they are all people whose paths have crossed with mine at some point, most likely as colleagues, friends, or classmates. Today’s guest is from a field not yet represented in this podcast. So, I am extremely curious to learn more about her journey. Surely, she will share some of her valuable insights with us, so let’s do this!
I am very excited to be joined by Carla Murillo-Gonzalez. Carla is an experienced architect, specializing in healthcare facility design with projects across the globe. Her scope spans from preliminary planning and design to construction administration. Currently, she is Vice President at HKS, a design firm. Before that, she worked in several design firms including SmithGroup, HDR, and URS. She studied architecture in the National University of Honduras, where she is from. She is currently working on her Master of Public Health at Baylor University. We met in Honduras and also lived in the same city, Alexandria VA, for some time. When not busy designing, studying for her masters, taking care of her husband, two boys, and Bruno the dog, she enjoys gardening and getting together with family and friends
During this episode we discuss:
- Which of the 13 Principles were instrumental to Carla’s journey in the architecture field.
- Why the road to Champagne has an incline for some, and what you can do about it.
- How being WIP is crucial to grow and to evolve your brand
Key quotes:
- On Principle 11, Build Your Village: “Definitely networking and having people that know you for who you really are—and your capabilities—really helps and opens up the road for you to be able to be exposed to projects that will enrich you and that will make you grow.” –Carla Murillo-Gonzalez
- On Principle 13, Learn From All Leaders: “Be an example. If we are leaders, we need to lead by example and we need to make sure we are enriching other people’s lives—giving others something better to follow.” –Carla Murillo-Gonzalez
- “You always perform—and you can be a better professional—when you are really enjoying it and not just chasing the dream. I think the dream needs to happen every day. Enjoy it, and you can sip that Champagne as you go through it.” –Carla Murillo-Gonzalez
- “For minorities—maybe immigrants—like us, I think the road to Champagne is a little bit of an uphill road. It is not as flat, which means we’ve got to put more energy, intelligence, and strategic thinking in order to get to where we want to get.” –Alejandro Colindres F.
Megan Prichard
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Introduction:
Many times, many of us fall into the trap of believing someone else will do the driving for us, when it comes to our career. That boss you had that conversation with about your goals months ago, and your HR partner, and your mentor…they should drive you around, right? Wrong! I know driverless technologies and autonomous cars are hitting the road, and that is very cool! Imagine commuting to work while working on your latest presentation or catching up on your Facebook feeds. Sounds cool, but when it comes to your career journey, do not let anyone near that steering wheel. Speaking about autonomous cars, my next guest knows a thing or two about them, and she also knows a lot about being in charge of her career. I know you will enjoy listening to her, so let’s get to it!
I am very excited to be joined by Megan Prichard. Megan is the Global Head of Autonomous Ridesharing at Ford Motor Company, based in LA. She has held multiple leading roles in the transportation and mobility industry, including at Uber Air, Uber Ridesharing, Jump Scooters, and Skyryse, an on-demand helicopter start-up. She was a management consultant at McKinsey in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where we met about 10 years ago. She also enjoyed an entrepreneurial stage when she launched a startup. Megan studied Economics at Yale University, and obtained a law degree at the University of Southern California. When not busy testing new driverless technologies at work, she loves to surf.
During this episode we discuss:
- Which of the 13 Principles were instrumental to Megan’s journey across law, consulting, and transportation and mobility.
- The downside you should watch out for when working from home
- How changing careers and roads can be a wonderful move
Key quotes:
- “The Shape Your Mindset section really speaks to having an openness about your career that allows you get opportunities and take advantage of them that you would not otherwise.” –Megan Prichard
- On Principle 12, Grab the Wheel: “Be a squeaky wheel. Be very clear about what you want with your direct managers, with your peers, with your mentors, with your network, because it is—I’ve found—the best way to really open yourself up for new opportunities.” –Megan Prichard
- On Principle 11, Build Your Village: “You don’t really create genuine connections with people unless you do show up as your full self—as a very authentic person in those conversations.” –Megan Prichard
- “If you disconnect too much from the office and you are just working from home and you become just this little box in Zoom, you are going to miss out on opportunities to really expand or create new relationships with your coworkers, your bosses, people of influence, your team.” –Alejandro Colindres F.